Language planning and policy formulation is a complex exercise. The purpose of this research was to explore and expose the challenges of language planning and policy formulation in Africa, with specific reference to Zimbabwe as the case study. To carry out the study, critical stages, approaches, theories and models of language planning were used. This analysis further established the attitudes of indigenous communities towards the use of indigenous languages in major domains of life. The study revealed the dilemma African Governments face in ‘officializing’ indigenous languages. The study proposes that in a multilingual nation like Zimbabwe, there is strong need to provide legal recognition to African languages as both official and national languages within Zimbabwe’s constitution. The research comprises six chapters. The conclusion restates the problem identified at the beginning and summarizes the findings. / African Languages / M.A. (African Languages)

The aim of this study was to critically analyse the visual and verbal language used on printed adverts by some selected banks in Zimbabwe. A semiotic theory was used to analyse the printed adverts. The study revealed that all the banks use stereotyped language in communicating their messages to potential customers. Some audiences identified with this stereotyped languages, though others were also critical of stereotyped adverts. This paradox is dependent on the uneven levels of social consciousness of the audiences. The study argues that communication between banks and the potential customers is a product of negotiation of meaning at the point of reception of the printed adverts. The study then recommended the use of gender, race and class neutral language in order to enhance the effectiveness of advertisements. Future research into the study of the language of advertisement should focus on the problem of copyright infringement in advertising. / African Languages / M.A. (African languages)

The fundamental aim of undertaking the study was to develop a teaching practice curriculum for teachers colleges in Zimbabwe. In order to accomplish this, basic questions on curriculum development were first investigated These were on curriculum intent, structure and content. In chapter two a conceptual framework for the proposed teaching practice curriculum was investigated. This involved an analysis of the influence of aims of education on curriculum theory and development, issues of curriculum foundations and models of curriculum development. The analysis culminated in the adoption of a cyclical model for the development of the proposed teaching practice curriculum. The cognitive framework of the study was further illuminated through the conceptualisation of the teaching practice curriculum, where philosophical foundations of teaching practice as well as its theoretical contexts were examined. Critical in this was the theory-practice relationship. In chapter four, the prevailing teaching practice situation in Zimbabwe was examined and views of lecturers and students on it analysed. This was accomplished in order to further identify flaws in the current approach to teaching practice which could be improved by means of the proposed teaching practice curriculum. The teaching practice curriculum being proposed was synthesised and developed in chapter five. This curriculum is founded on the philosophical foundations discussed in chapters two and three. It has theoretical components and is implemented in teachers' colleges and schools. It brings to the fore the importance of partnership between the practising schools and colleges as well as reflective teacher education. The development of the proposed teaching practice curriculum resulted in the following outcomes: • An investigation into how theory and practice in teacher education could be integrated. • Suggestions for improving the college-school relationship through the development of partnership in teacher education. • The extrication of theory p-orn practice. • An emphasis on the importance of reflective practice and reflective teacher education. In recommending the adoption and implementation of the curriculum the researcher identified a number of meaningful consequences: • The improvement of teaching practice programmes in colleges. • The development of expertise in the practice of education. • The active involvement of experienced teachers in teacher education and training. • The resurgence of research in the practical aspect of teacher education. / Teacher Education / D. Ed. (Didactics)

The study is premised on the assumptions that the under-representation of women in leadership in academia is aggravated by weak implementation of gender policies. In light of this, the aim of the current study was to assess the nature and extent of the implementation of gender policy frameworks as a way of engendering gender parity in leadership in academia. The study was informed by the socialist-feminist theory and John Rawls’ and David Millers’ theory of social justice. The theories were chosen on the basis of their socialist-scientific approach to gender issues and also because of their resonance with the situation in Zimbabwe’s tertiary institutions. The theories were analysed within the context of Agenda 2063. The relevance of the agenda’s vision for this study is its recognition of gender equality, particularly in leadership in academia, as a critical cog for Africa’s development agenda. The researcher opted to use the qualitative approach which is embedded within the interpretivist research paradigm. The interpretivist approach makes use of qualitative methods of data collection, presentation and analysis. Data were generated from a sample of twenty four lecturers, two vice-chancellors, two pro-vice-chancellors and two registrars from two universities, a private church-run institution and a state university, mainly through interviews. Data were also generated through focus group discussions and document analysis. Data from documents were used to buttress data from the interviews and focus group discussions. The findings of this study showed that the male-management norm dominated in almost every strategic section of the structures of the two institutions. This was attributable to weak implementation of gender policies. The failure of the gender policies to bring a visible change to the institutional landscape in terms of gender equality was a result of an interplay of personal, cultural and organisational factors. Some of the factors that thwarted women’s career progression to leadership positions included, lack of inspiration from role models, lack of support from colleagues, lack of training in leadership, and the Zimbabwe Council of Higher Education’s (ZIMCHE) indiscriminate policy on recruitment of staff members. All the factors however, were encapsulated within the patriarchal stereotypical conception of a women as fit for domesticity. Within the same conception, men were considered to be imbued with the clout and traits consistent with leadership demands. Studies carried out elsewhere in Zimbabwe and outside the boarders of Zimbabwe have yielded similar results. This explains the continuing and relentless nature of gender inequality in academic institutions. In order to increase the participation of women in leadership positions, the study recommends the following: establishment of a monitoring and evaluation exercise designed to audit the effectiveness of the gender policies; establishment of a review of the university programmes with the aim of establishing or intensifying training programmes in academic leadership and management; establishment of a scholarship and research fund to encourage women to undertake higher degrees studies, and the intense application of affirmative action policies and gender mainstreaming in the universities.

This study offers an explanation of enabling and / or constraining factors in Zimbabwe‘s 3-3-3 secondary teacher education model for Post ‗O‘ Level Science. It is a theory driven study that derives its theoretical foundation from Roy Bhaskar‘s critical realism and Margaret Archer‘s morphogenetic approach to reality. The study therefore offers explanations about structural, cultural and agential influences that facilitate and / or hinder the 3-year program for Post ‗O‘ Level Science. This was a qualitative case study of one secondary teacher education college in Zimbabwe. Qualitative data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions and document analysis. One official from the Department of Teacher Education(DTE) at the University of Zimbabwe(UZ),the Principal, the Vice Principal and 10 lecturers from the studied college,3 Heads of Science department in secondary schools,3mentors and 5 groups of 10 and 11eleven student teachers participated in the study. The DTE Handbook (2012), vision and mission statements and core values of the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education Science and Technology Development (MHTESTD),DTE and the studied college, syllabuses, teaching practice reports, policy documents, external examining reports, College Academic Board (CAB) minutes, admission records, mark profiles and pass lists among other relevant documents complemented interview data. As a theory driven study, structural, cultural and agential influences were found to be enabling and / or constraining the model. The acute shortage of Science teachers in secondary schools and the few Post ‗A‘ Level Science graduates led to the re-introduction of the 3- year Post ‗O‘ Level Science program in secondary teacher education colleges. The bureaucratic structures in educational institutions, the In-Out-In structure, institutional structures such as the family, the University, the studied college, secondary schools, infrastructural facilities, material and financial resources, transport facilities and utilities such as water, electricity and the internet were established as some among other structural factors affecting the 3-3-3 model. Discourses held about the teaching profession, the vision, mission and core values of the MHTESTD,DTE and the studied college, beliefs about what Science teachers should learn, knowledge, skills, attitudes and values they should acquire and how they should be taught were established as cultural factors enabling and / or constraining the 3-3-3 model. Agential influences offering causal explanation for enablers and / or constrainers of the model were established as the decision by the Principal and the CAB to re-introduce the 3- year Post ‗O‘ Level Science program, the decision by the students to enroll for the program, the recruitment of under qualified students, the use of various teaching methods, conducting staff development and mentorship workshops and failure to increase staff establishment. The study has put forth recommendations for the improvement on constraining factors in pre-service teacher education programs. With the understanding that agency has power to reinforce or transform structures and cultures, it should not be seen to be reinforcing disadvantaged structural positions and cultures; instead, after having identified structural and cultural constrainers, it should engage in communicative and meta-reflexivity to come up with the best possible solutions to the hindrances. Courses of action should then be taken accordingly.

Less than two decades ago, Zimbabwe was a symbol for the rest of the world of what Africa could become (Dell, 2005). DiSilvio (2007) contends that independent Zimbabwe was an economic success on route to attaining status of the most “developed country” in Africa. Contrary to expectations, by 2003 the Zimbabwean economy was shrinking faster than any other economy in the world at 18 percent per year (Richardson, 2005). Reports indicate that the Zimbabwean economy is in crisis and has since been set back by more than 50 years (Matikinye, 2005). This phenomenon necessitated the need for an investigation to ascertain its cause in Zimbabwe. As a result, the research identifies and presents hyperinflation as the root cause of the crisis in Zimbabwe and illustrates the validity of this assertion with a focus on the Zimbabwean construction industry. As part of the research inquiry, a review of related literature was conducted. The literature review illustrated the generic effects of hyperinflation as well as the effects of this phenomenon in action in Zimbabwe. The literature study was followed by a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire was completed by 23 contractors and 7 clients from a census of contractors and clients in Zimbabwe. The questionnaire consisted of a number of variables, which the respondents were asked to rate vis-à-vis the effects of hyperinflation in the construction industry. In summary, the questionnaire sought to determine the causes of hyperinflation in Zimbabwe, its specific effects on the construction industry and how respondents thought the phenomenon could be mitigated so as to revive the Zimbabwean construction industry. The techniques of re-scaling, in conjunction with descriptive and inferential statistics, ranking and quadrant analysis were applied to the data. Results from these analyses revealed a high degree of agreement among respondents vis-à-vis the effects of hyperinflation on the Zimbabwean construction industry. The interpretation of the results further revealed that hyperinflation has undoubtedly led to the collapse of the Zimbabwean construction industry. In conclusion, the research, applying the interpretations of v the survey findings, prescribes a number of ways in which the Zimbabwean construction sector may be resurrected. Among the recommended prescriptions, there are a number of debatable issues that arise that the researcher proposes should be subject to future study.

This research is a diagnosis of the supply side of SME (small and medium enterprises) credit. Its objectives are to determine the current level of bank lending to SMEs to validate the financing gap, to explore the strategies and mechanisms employed by banks to provide tailor-made lending for SMEs and finally to conclude by identifying some of the key challenges the banks face in their quest to lend to SMEs. This, then, culminated in some recommendations for increasing bank funding to SMEs. This study employed a deductive qualitative research.. The research used a non-probability, purposive/judgmental sampling method to choose the heads of bank SME units to include in the research. There are twelve banks with dedicated SME units, out of a total of 18. The researcher carried out in-depth face to face interviews using semi-structured questions. The qualitative data was coded, deductively analysed and conclusions drawn and incorporated into a report. Banks’ most outstanding challenges in dealing with SMEs in terms of information asymmetry, an unsupportive business environment, poor quality of SME clients and inflexible regulatory requirements.

This thesis is a reaction to the state of utter lawlessness and the abuse of human rights by those in power in Zimbabwe over the past two years and it investigates the possibility of restoring democratic governance in that country by increasing the freedom of expression and media freedom, which is considered to be one of the most valuable elements in advancing democratization. Its aim is to establish the Internet as the best means possible to increasing media freedom and creating new ‘sites of struggle’ for activists in a context where the substantive freedom of expression does not exist. This in turn is shown to advance levels of democracy. To this end, the value of the freedom of expression to media freedom and the value of the latter to increasing levels of democracy is developed and the lack of democracy in Zimbabwe at all levels of society is considered. The Internet is seen to increase the freedoms of speech and association in new and interesting ways and it is discussed in various examples in which it has already been instrumental in evading the censorship of the media and increasing the ability of activists to express themselves freely and to organize more efficiently. Finally, the resources that Internet technology makes available to African journalists and activists are considered along with lessons gleaned from international examples of successful Internet use and it is shown to already be of use to Zimbabwean journalists and activists as they create to new cyberspaces in which they can struggle for positive democratic change in Zimbabwe. The Internet is also shown to have tremendous potential for future use in that country.

In recent years, proponents of 'green and clean fuel' have argued that the costs of overreliance on fossil fuels could be reduced through transition to biofuels such as bio-ethanol. Global biofuel discourses suggest that any transition to biofuel invariably results in significant benefits, including energy independence, job creation, development of agro-industrial centres at local level and high revenue generations for the state with minimum negative impacts on the environment. With many risks and costs associated with traditional 'dirty' fuels, it is likely that many countries, particularly African countries, will move towards the 'green and clean fuel' alternative. However, until recently research has arguably paid limited attention to the local livelihood impacts related to land acquisition for biofuel development or the policy frameworks required to maximise biofuel benefits. With regards to biofuel benefits, some recent studies suggest that the much bandied potential for greater tax revenue, lowered fuel costs and wealth distribution from biofuel production have all been perverted with relatively little payoff in wage labour opportunities in return (e.g. Richardson, 2010; Wilkinson and Herrera, 2010). Based on work done in Chisumbanje communal lands of Zimbabwe (Thondhlana, 2015), this policy brief highlights the local livelihood impacts of biofuel development and discusses policy implications of the findings. By highlighting the justifications of biofuel development at any cost by the state, the study sheds some light on the conflicts between state interests and local livelihood needs.

Magister Administrationis - MAdmin / This study was an investigation of the relationship between political conditionality and self-determination using Zimbabwe as a case study. The Zimbabwean land issue illustrates the challenges posed by external influences on supposedly autonomous domestic policy decision-making processes. / South Africa